Joanie and Dennis Franz thought so. The long-time Montecito residents and developers partnered with the Santa Barbara Junior League and leading California designers to renovate a rundown ranch in the Montecito community for the 2012 Santa Barbara Design House and Gardens.

The house—with swimming pool, a cabana guesthouse, and totally tricked-out garage—is open for tours September 13 through October 7, but we’re going to give you a sneak peek into the rooms designed by some of California’s best interior designers.

The sun, the sea, and foggy mornings in Montecito inspired the design of the living room by Los Angeles designer Michelle Workman. Known for her upbeat mix of modern and classic, Workman covered a vintage chaise with silver faux snakeskin fabric she found at a Los Angeles fabric store.

Because Workman can’t resist a bit of bling—she is a born and bred Hollywood girl after all—the designer installed draperies on translucent acrylic and polished chrome rods to give the room that hint of Hollywood glam.

The Santa Barbara setting also spoke to Los Angeles designer Mary McDonald, who played with sea- and sky-inspired tones of blues in the family room. McDonald kept the seating casual and relaxed with a loose-back cushioned sofa from Baker and blue leather armchairs from Lee Industries grouped around a wood-topped coffee table from the Cabana Home collection.

The limestone fireplace surround by Exquisite Surfaces is dramatic and a bit rustic, in keeping with the casualness of the home. Brass sconces highlight artwork and the double-swing lamp arms extend to provide light for reading.

A blue Ikat-patterned fabric suggestive of water and sand was fabricated into draperies for the large windows. McDonald incorporated the colors and textures of Southern California’s woods, deserts, and beaches by adding antique wood furniture, a jute area rug, handmade pottery, and antiques that reflect the mix of cultures in the region.

Indoor-outdoor chairs surround the large wood table in the casual dining area, also designed by Mary McDonald. The driftwood color tones blend easily with the family room furnishings and those on the loggia, adjacent to the dining area. A globe pendant light fixture illuminates the table and ties in with the brass scones in the family room and lanterns above the kitchen island.

A mantel-style range hood with a backsplash of Calcutta marble tiles from AKDO sets off the stainless steel GE Monogram range. Other GE appliances, including dishwashers, large refrigerator and freezer, and refrigerator drawers are fit with cabinet-style panel fronts to integrate them into the kitchen cabinetry.

McDonald repeated the blue theme on the base of the large kitchen island. The deep color highlights the veining in the Calcutta marble island top. Ivory-colored Wood-Mode cabinets were given a slightly distressed finish to keep the mood relaxed and warm.

Other furniture-style details include a plate rack and glass-front cabinets that allow for the display of pretty dishes and serving pieces. Two high-arch Waterstone Faucets make food prep and clean-up stylish chores.

Los Angeles designer Mary McDonald created a comfortable seating area around the stone fireplace on one end of the covered loggia. Folding doors by Marvin across the back of the house open the interiors to the outdoors.

The indoor-outdoor connection is seamless with Marvin’s folding doors, which open the family room to an outdoor dining area. McDonald furnished the dining space with all-weather wicker chairs and two indestructible cement tables pushed together.

One corner of the office is furnished with an armchair and ottoman for comfortable reading. Who could resist wrapping up in the luxurious cashmere throw by Loro Piana. French doors open the office to a small patio and private garden area on the side of the house.

The Thompsons upholstered a headboard in a muted teal linen and added terra cotta and teal pillows, repeating the palette in the nearby office. A hassock ottoman from Baker doubles as a footstool for the room’s armchair and as an auxiliary bedside table.

The grass cloth accentuates the curvaceous vintage-style porcelain sink from St. Thomas Creations, which is fitted with Kohler’s Bancroft faucet. Above it, the Roman window shade is trimmed in tiny shells.

The mirror to the left of the pedestal sink is framed in pen shell, another nod to the beach location.

A taupe-and-chocolate color scheme and mix of textures creates a bedroom that exudes comfort. Brown accentuated the vaulted and beamed ceilings and high baseboards by painting them a fresh white. Artwork covers the walls and offers visitors interesting vignettes wherever they look. A swing chair suspended in one corner and the tribal-inspired Diane Von Furstenberg striped rug from The Rug Company keep the mood playful as well as comfortable.

More luggage-inspired furnishings are tucked in a corner, including pillows with wrapped with leather belts and a vintage trunk tucked under the chair. And don’t miss this artwork—an original Andy Warhol of Liza Minnelli.

Brown surrounded the marble fireplace with a lattice-style paneling painted white. The built-in shelves and benches add architectural interest, as well as providing cozy sitting spots near the fire. Above it all, a charming spool chandelier designed by Paul Marra.

A window alcove offered a perfect spot for Brown to slide in a faux shagreen desk paired with a vintage safari chair, giving guests a sweet spot for reading, writing notes, or just gazing out to the gardens.

Relaxation extends outside, with eclectic furnishings on a balcony that offers bird’s-eye views of a 250-year-old oak tree, the pool, and the ocean in the distance. Brown designed the handy little wire-based tables topped with slices of burled wood.

In the bath, Brown created a clean and calm setting with gray walls juxtaposed with a dark floor and crisp white ceiling. A clam-like chandelier from Ironies floats above the soaking tub. Twin vintage-style sinks on chrome legs are paired with cabinet-style medicine cabinets.

Designer Carla Lane went jungle wild with Lulu DK’s fabric collection for Schumacher – covering the walls with an irresistible embroidered animal fabric in blue and white, and covering a scalloped shaped headboard (Lane’s own design) in a happy green and white starburst pattern called “Firecrackers.”

Lane specializes in designing children’s rooms and often includes a wall-mounted bookrack. Here the rack was painted blue, as was the ceiling. Bamboo shades are topped with cornices covered in LuLu DK’s “Cha Cha” fabric and the rocker and stool (both recycled) are covered in another Lulu DK design with the candy sweet name of “Skittles.” The room is elegantly grounded with an Oscar de la Renta rug from Elson & Company.

The pendant was made by fusing ground metals, such as copper, between layers of glass. When the glass is heated the metals explode, creating one-of-a-kind designs. The fabric-like folds of the pendant are made by slumping the hot glass over a form to cool.

The vessel sink and round mirror frame were made by Weinstock using glass-fusing processes. Copper and other metals were fused between layers of glass to form a circle design in the “Aqua Luna” bowl sink. Above it hangs the “Velvet Cienega” mirror.

Designer Katerina Tana created a calm and clutter-free esthetic in the two-bedroom cabana guesthouse. The stone-and-shingle building shares a patio with the main house and is just steps away from the swimming pool.

An oil-rubbed bronze chandelier and a sofa designed by Tana and covered in her reversible herringbone fabric set the classic tone for the sitting room. A hand-blown Murano glass vase from the Mucucci collection is reflected in the organically shaped mirror.

A wing desk by Vladimir Kagan catches the sunlight at one end of the bedroom, where Roman shades fashioned from Tana’s “Capistrano” linen filter the light. In a nod to the cabana’s proximity to the pool and seaside, a Murano glass seashell from the Mucucci Collection rests on the desk.

Who could resist an afternoon nap in this daybed designed by Tana and layered with her silky soft linens? Walls painted soft blue enhance the calming mood. Above the bed hangs an almost mystical photograph by Tana, titled “Deer, Deer, Deer,” featuring three deer framed by brush as they walk near the beach.